Charge's Kevin Jones letting the game come to him

In the NBA, Kevin Jones is the player at the end of the bench, a guy trying to find whatever playing time he can and open some eyes. In the D-League, Jones is nothing less than an MVP candidate.

By Josh WeirRepository sports writer

In the NBA, Kevin Jones is the player at the end of the bench, a guy trying to find whatever playing time he can and open some eyes.

In the D-League, Jones is nothing less than an MVP candidate.

The interesting thing about the second-year pro is that whatever his role, whatever his setting, he never changes.

Jones brings his coach-pleasing, ultra-productive game back to Canton this season after spending some time with the Charge last year.

At 6-foot-8, 250 pounds, Jones is a bit undersized for power forward in the NBA. But the 24-year-old combines a nice jump shot, great hands, long arms and a junkyard-dog mentality to consistently produce good numbers.

Statistics are not the first topic that comes to mind for Steve Hetzel when he talks about the guy everyone refers to as “KJ.”

The Charge head coach calls Jones “an A-plus person” and lauds his work ethic. Jones provides the kind of leadership for which coaches dream.

“When your best player is doing everything the right way, it’s hard to step out of line,” Hetzel said.

Plus, as Hetzel added, it doesn’t hurt that Jones “rebounds and shoots the ball at an NBA level.”

An undrafted free agent out of West Virginia last year despite being a second team All-American, Jones was one of the final cuts in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 2012 training camp.

The Charge acquired him as an affiliate player, and after a strong start to the D-League season, the Cavs signed him to an NBA contract.

When Jones opened the season in Canton last year, he felt like he had to show everyone what he could do.

This year is different.

“I feel like there is less pressure because I don’t have anyone to impress,” he said. “I just want to go out there and play my game. I have a bunch of great teammates, guys that can make shots. So that makes it easier for me to do what I do.”

One of the things coaches love about Jones is that he gets his numbers in the flow of the game. Rarely is a play designed for him.

Jones played 12 games with the Charge last year, averaging 22.4 points and 11.2 rebounds. He shot 53.0 percent from the floor.

“The ball always finds the right person when it’s moving and you’re unselfish,” Hetzel said. “We don’t need him forcing anything to get 20 and 10. We just need him to play the game, and that will come to him.”

Jones played 32 games with the Cavs last year, averaging 3.0 points and 2.4 rebounds in 10.4 minutes a night.

He did this while bouncing back and forth between Cleveland and Canton. There were times when he was assigned after a Cavaliers practice for a Charge game that night.

“It was definitely a maturing process for me,” Jones said. “It just taught me to be prepared at any given moment. Anything could happen.”

Jones was waived by the Cavs in July to make room for roster changes. Not surprisingly, he took the news with mature perspective.

“When you’re the 14th or 15th man on the roster, you kind of know your fate,” he said. “You’ve just got to play through it. The Cavs organization was great. I know they liked me. But it was a business move with them drafting Anthony Bennett and signing Andrew Bynum. I kind of knew my chances were slim then. But there’s nothing I can do but keep playing and roll with the punches.”

Jones was set to play for the Cavaliers summer league team, but he was struck by an elbow during practice and suffered a concussion.

He worked out for the Utah Jazz twice but did not get an invite to camp. His options were down to overseas or the D-League. Jones felt his best opportunity was with the Charge and chasing that NBA dream.

“I just want to improve on my defense,” Jones said. “I know if I get picked up by (an NBA) team, I’m not going to be a guy who gets 20 (points) for their team. At least not right away. Hopefully one day.

“I want to do the little things that coaches notice: showing on screens, not getting split, boxing out bigger guys, stuff like that. I know the rest will come to me.”